"Late Spring Cold" and "Return of the South" constantly fluctuate, with the weather going from cold to hot, making it difficult to adapt. However, there is no need to worry too much. Professor Yang Xiaohong, Director of the Comprehensive Department at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, pointed out that for the Lingnan region, the rainy season is essentially a transition between winter and spring. When the cold air comes, it is appropriate to continue with winter tonics. When warm and humid weather arrives, it is time to switch to dampness dispelling and spleen strengthening. By following these points and adjusting internally and externally, you can easily cope with this unpredictable weather.
[Food Therapy]
1. Beef and Lamb Hotpot
Instead of relying on medicine, it is better to focus on adjusting your daily diet before taking any supplements. In cold weather, when the body lacks yang energy, it is prone to symptoms such as weakness in the limbs and dizziness. Therefore, it is necessary to eat some warm yang foods.
Qiu Zhenwen, Chief Pharmacist of the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, told New Express reporters that making soups, porridge, or even consuming a moderate amount of nuts every day are all considered tonics. It is important to consult a doctor to understand your own constitution and then eat foods that are suitable for your constitution. However, Qiu Zhenwen also warns that although mutton is good, it should not be consumed excessively, especially for people with yin deficiency constitution. In addition to mutton, other warm foods that can be consumed include glutinous rice, dog meat, jujube, longan, catfish, hairtail, sea cucumber, scallops, onions, cilantro, glutinous rice, wheat, pumpkin, red dates, and fennel. Eating less cold drinks and seafood, which are cold in nature, can also assist in tonifying yang energy. In addition to warm foods, some foods that have a neutral tonifying effect can also be consumed more, such as lotus seeds, coix seed, coix seed, jujube, bird's nest, and tremella. There is also a category of nourishing foods that have the effect of nourishing yin and kidney, and replenishing essence and marrow, such as black fungus, black dates, sesame, black beans, ham, pork loin, turtle meat, turtle, and abalone.
2. Nourishing Medicinal Diet
If dietary adjustments are not enough, it is recommended to consult an experienced traditional Chinese medicine practitioner or try medicinal wine or medicinal diet under the guidance of a doctor. With the help of the rising yang energy, the body's internal environment can be balanced, thereby adapting to the external climate and enhancing the body's resistance to diseases.
[Warming Props]
Hot Patches - Apply to Painful Joints
Yang Xiaohong said that when using hot patches, it is important to apply them to the painful joints and key acupoints on the body, such as the navel and Zusanli point. The abdomen, knees, and back should be kept warm.
Precautions:
1. People have different skin sensitivities, so it is important to avoid using hot patches in the same location on the body for an extended period of time. Monitor the condition of the skin at all times to prevent skin allergies and low-temperature burns caused by excessive local temperatures. Do not use hot patches while using electric blankets or other heating appliances, and do not use them directly on the body during sleep.
2. People with diabetes, poor blood circulation, and low skin sensitivity should not use hot patches for warming.
3. Children, the elderly, and those who cannot take care of themselves should use hot patches under special supervision.
Electric Heaters/Fans - Pay Attention to Humidification
Yang Xiaohong reminds us that the respiratory system is sensitive, and electric heaters and fans can dry out the surrounding air during the heating process. If used for a long time at close range, it can also cause discomfort. Therefore, when using these types of heating devices, it is best to choose ones with humidification functions. Otherwise, it is advisable to place a basin of water nearby. "Even though this spring is cold and wet, the air in places using electric heaters can still become quite dry and will still require humidification."
Thermal Underwear
Invest in a set of high-quality thermal underwear, which can greatly reduce the need for layering clothes. Some thermal underwear is thicker in the chest, back, and knee joints, which can effectively keep you warm.
When purchasing thermal underwear, pay attention to the use of ultra-fine fibers in the middle insulation layer. When kneading the fabric with your hand, it should feel smooth and without any foreign objects. Good quality thermal underwear also has excellent resilience.
[Food Therapy for Dampness]
For People with Hot Constitutions: Adzuki Bean and Coix Seed Bone Soup
【Ingredients】100g adzuki beans, 100g coix seed, 1 honey jujube, appropriate amount of bones/meat
【Effects】Clearing heat and dispelling dampness
For People with Cold Constitutions: White Eyebrow Bean and Coix Seed Bone Soup
【Ingredients】100g white eyebrow beans, 100g coix seed, 1 honey jujube, appropriate amount of bones/meat
